The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-27
THROUGH DIXIE.
What the Southern People arc
Saying and Doing.
A STRANGE CASE IN FANNIN COUNTY
GEORGIA.

eight or ten years ago man named Barnes
was murdered near the line Of Fannin county,
Georgia. and Polk county, Tennessee, the
mans head being split open with an axe
from which he died in a short time. Joseph
b, Myers was suspected of committing the
murder and he fled from the county, nobody
knew where. He was searched for end large
reward was offered for his arrest Time
passed and the murder was forgotten and the
murderer was not found. On Wednesday last
lawyer of Maysyille, jackson county, ac-
companied by man calling himself
Myers, of the same county, came here withsa
warrant against Devil" Jim Higgins, of this
county, for kidnapping. The warrant charged
Higgins with kidnapping child on the goth
OF last month from Mrs. Meyers. She was the
mother of the child by former husband named
Ray. The child was relative of Higgins and
he wanted it; so he took it and brought it to
his home in this county. Myers requested
Marshal Townsend to accompany him to assist
In the enforcement of the warrant or the re-
coyery, of the child. Higgins lives about eight
miles from here and on arriving at the home of
Higgins everything was in confusion. The
two men were met by the whole Higgins
family, one of the boys having gun,
another one OF the family an AK, and so on.
The marshal, who is also constable, read the
warrant, when Higgins surprised the officer
by stating that Myers was the murderer of
Barnes and that he had fed and harbored him
many days when Myers was hiding from arrest.
The officer was surprised, but having recol-
told before that Higgins had fed and harbored
Myers, he Immediately placed Myers under ar
rest, and summoned Constable Walker. of that
district, to assist him. He then placed Myers
under Walkers care and proceeded to arrest
Higgins, on the charge of kidnapping. The
two prisoners were brought to town and, Eig-
gins having agreed to give up the child, the
warrant was dismissed against him and Myers
was committed to jail.
Myers acknowledged to Sheriff Satterfeld
that he had hit Barnes in the head with an
ak in Tennessee, but did it in self-defense.
Others here claim that the murder was COM
mitted in this state. There is some dis pute
and the sheriff is now investigating the mat
ter He wants information ON the subject and
has sent out person to seek it. He asks that
anybody knowing anything will please inform
him. The arrest was quite a novel ono, as the
marshal was not expecting affairs to turn out
that way. lie had not even suspected Myers
before of being murderer, but when Higgins
named it the whole thing flashed intb his
mind at once. Since the murder Myers had
settled in jackson county and was doing well
at farming.
"How is it possible for you to have made
twenty-eight bales of cotton per mule upon
your plantation this year?" was asked of Hon.
Primus Jones, the first bale man of Baker
county.
'The easiest thing in the world,' was the
reply. eff L live ten years longer L expect to
make fifty bales to every mule Fifty acres is
the average number tended by a mule and it
will be simple matter for me to bring my
land up to high state Eof cultivation that
each and every acre planted will producee its
bale of cotton. AS L said before, intensive
farming is going to become the salvation of this
country
Colonel Jones believes in heavy fertilization.
He has an immense shed 102 feet long by 90
feet wide in which he pens I'D his stock at
night and in which he makes his compost. The
lumber in his shed alone, exclusive of nails,
shingles, etc, cost him over $780,
In Campbell county Joe Miner, oolored,
was passing along the road going to his work
colored, who said: "Joe I understand you
have been talking about me-" "No have
not" was the reply, whereupon Aslew dis
charged both barrels ora shot gun which he
was carrying, both loads entering the breast
and heart of Miner, from the affects of which
he died that night. No cause is known for
this unprovoked brutal murder only Miners
flying statement given above is known.
Gainesville Courant: Considerable I'M
easiness has been felt for the past sew
Mrs. Sam P. lJones, who arrived
home with her husband, Frustrated
with sickness in q special coach from Albany
New York, last Friday. We are glad to
chronicle the good news that the lady is out of
danger and is fast recovering.
Some prominent citizens of Douglas county,
are not a little stirred up over what they be-
Heve to be an imposition perpetrated upon the
well known firm of George w. Scott & Co..
of this city
1t will be remembered that at the recent
contest for premiums offered by Messrs. Scott
q Co., for the best production of cotton and
corn to the acre, where their fertilizer, gossy-
plum, is used the prize for the best crop of
cotton raised upon five acres was awarded to
Robert G. Ray, of Chapel Hill, Douglas
county. Mr.. Ray furnished the necessary
proofs of having raised 9,7S8 pounds of cotton
to five acres. Messrs. Scott & Co. are very
careful in requiring undoubted proofs of the
genuineness Of the claims of the contestants,
and the committee making the awards always
has before it statements upon this point from
what are believed to be undoubted sources.
On Tuesday THE CONSTITUTION received
from its correspondent at Dougldsville letter
in which it was stated under date of December
18th that:
Some OF the citizens of this county were very
much surprised to see in yesterdays CONSTITUTION
In the distribution of the prizes by @. w. Scott &
Co. for the best yield of cotton on five acres the
name Of Mr.. Robert G. Ray, of this county. Every
one here is inclined to disbeieve that Mr.. Ray
made the enormous yield reported by THE &C N
sTITUTIoN. lie Is rot known in this county as
scientific or prominent farmer. The first time the
writer saw or heard of him was last week when
the grand jury Of the county indicted him for vio
paid it would be well for g. W. Scott & Co. to inves-
tigate jlst little. He is only a renter and the
people here don't believe he made half the cotton
reported
from such men. as #. NJ Vim, e. w. Max
well, j. NJ. Hatchit, s. n. Dorsett, T. II.
Written, G.. w. Griffith w. T. Poole, w. j.
Abercrombie and j. Fl. Alexander, the por
port of which were that they did not believe
Mr.. Rays statements and did kbelieye that
the matter needed investigation.
Colonel Scott, in reply to question asking
him if he had heard Of these doubts, said:
'Yes, our agent at Douglasyille Captain q. Z.
Bowen, has written us this morning that such
doubts exist and requests an investigation.
We have already employed council to visit the
neighborhood and investigate the matter thor
oughly. If there is any reasonable ground to
suspect fraud our attorney is instructed to at
once commence prosecution"
ave do this" Colonel Scott said in justice
not only TO ourselves, but to the numerous
other contestants for these premiums. This
award was made by a committee selected by
the contestants.
"The application is in writing, and the facts
as stated in it were certified TO by A. II. Boz
mar, Il. ID. Odds and II. w. Ballard. These
gentlemen also certified under their signatures
that they measured accurately the land, saw
the crop growing, supervised its gathering and
ginning and weighed the yield.
"Mr. Bomar Is a merchant at Chapel Hill,
and justice Of the peace; DR.. Odds Is prac-
tcng physician and Mr.. Ballard, q clerk in
country store. We are informed that all are